It's been quite a year for The Royal Ballet – here are just a few of my highlights:

New work

Six new creations were staged, two carrying on The Royal Ballet tradition of narrative works: Wayne McGregor's evocative and poetic Raven Girl and Liam Scarlett's dark and compelling Hansel and Gretel. Christopher Wheeldon took us to a beautiful other world in Aeternum and Alexei Ratmansky worked with the company in the more abstract but romantic 24 Preludes. We celebrated Britten's centenary with Kim Brandstrup's intimate and intriguing Ceremony of Innocence at the Aldeburgh Festival and in November we welcomed British-born David Dawson, who created the atmospheric The Human Seasons. In addition we added an exhilarating new full-length work to the repertory with Carlos Acosta's exuberant Don Quixote, already an audience favourite.

Heritage works

Heritage works also played a major part as we celebrated Frederick Ashton in February – it was particularly wonderful to see Monotones after so long – and in March Kenneth MacMillan's masterly Mayerling was given powerhouse performances by no fewer than five terrific casts.

It was a delight to see the youngsters of Chance to Dance tackling the complexities of Kenneth MacMillan's The Rite of Spring with gusto and great aplomb, as well as the professionalism and charm of The Royal Ballet School White Lodgers in helping to bring Peter Wright's Nutcracker to life. The future certainly looks bright.

Finally, great performances are the pinnacle of the combined efforts of a great many people. Not just through the extraordinary artistry and dedication of the dancers on stage but also through the efforts of the entire artistic and administrative staff and the behind-the-scenes technicians in every department of the Opera House. That, for me, is an unseen highlight which can’t go unmentioned.

24 Preludes, part of the Royal Ballet’s current mixed programme that includes George Balanchine's Apollo and Christopher Wheeldon's Aeternum, offers audiences the opportunity to experience Alexei Ratmansky’s first work for a UK company. Much lauded for revitalizing classical ballet and infusing it with his unique brand of inventiveness and rich cross-cultural references, the Russian choreographer makes ballets that often reveal new sides to his dancers. His works are very much in demand around the world and regularly staged in Russia, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the US.

Ratmansky started experimenting with choreography at a young age at the Moscow Choreographic Institute (the school of the Bolshoi). His dancing career would take him to the Ukraine, Canada and Denmark, where he was exposed to works by such diverse choreographers as Bournonville, Balanchine, Neumeier and Tudor, who would later influence and inform his choreographic style.

During his time as Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet, Ratmansky set about re-staging historic works and revisiting ballet scores by composers like Shostakovich and Prokofiev. As American Ballet Theatre’s current Artist in Residence, he has created critically acclaimed versions of classic Russian ballets The Nutcracker and The Firebird. Known for his fresh take on dance comedies, dramas and even 'dramedies' (as in his most recent work for the Royal Danish Ballet, The Golden Cockerel), Ratmansky is also well-versed in plotless works, having created, in this commission for the Royal Ballet, a 'ballet of mood' set to orchestrated Chopin pieces for a cast of eight dancers.

The Bright Stream (Bolshoi Ballet, 2003)A ballet about collective farming in the Soviet era is turned into a comedy worthy of Billy Wilder, thanks to Ratmansky’s knack for the witty and the whimsical. One of the funniest scenes involves a dancer cross-dressed as a Sylph on a bike.

The Little Humpbacked Horse (Mariinsky Ballet, 2008)
The Little Humpbacked Horse pairs gorgeous steps with elements of a screwball comedy: a kooky heroine, a geeky hero and cartoon character villains. In this clip, our heroine the Tsar Maiden and the new Tsar hero experience the high jinks of total happiness in their wedding pas de deux.

The Flames of Paris (Bolshoi Ballet, 2008)
Originally choreographed by Vasily Vainonen for the Kirov in 1932 with music by Boris Asafyev, this production by Ratmansky for the Bolshoi will be seen in London in August as part of the company's summer tour. The central pas de deux is a perfect vehicle for the pyrotechnics of Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev. Flaming indeed.

Alexei Ratmansky's 24 Preludes runs until 14 March as part of a Mixed Programme with George Balanchine's Apollo and Christopher Wheeldon's Aeternum. Tickets are sold out though day tickets will be available.The Bolshoi Ballet perform The Flames of Paris on 16 and 17 August 2013. Booking opens on 12 March to the Friends of Covent Garden with General booking from 9 April

Interview: Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky on working with The Royal Balletroyaloperahouse

What did you think of The Royal Ballet's Mixed Programme? Which was your favourite ballet of the three and why?
]]>http://www.roh.org.uk/news/your-reaction-royal-ballet-mixed-programme/feed2Watch: Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon in rehearsalhttp://www.roh.org.uk/news/watch-alexei-ratmansky-and-christopher-wheeldon-in-rehearsal
http://www.roh.org.uk/news/watch-alexei-ratmansky-and-christopher-wheeldon-in-rehearsal#commentsFri, 15 Feb 2013 18:14:07 +0000Chris Shipmanhttp://www.roh.org.uk/?p=17864

Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Wheeldon recently gave an ROH Insights audience a taste of their two new works for The Royal Ballet, titled 24 Preludes and Aeternum respectively. The ballets will be performed alongside George Balanchine's Apollo as part of a Mixed Programme.

As well as rehearsing their works, the two choreographers were also interviewed and, as well as introducing their pieces, spoke about the pressures of choreographing for what Christopher called an increasingly 'hungry' audience. Alexei also spoke of his first experience of working with the Company: 'They are wonderful professionals, they know how to act, how to dance'. He also commented on his choreographic method and adapting his style to the company he is working with.

Alexei's piece is his debut work with the Company and the session saw him rehearsing 24 Preludes with Royal Ballet Principal Edward Watson. The piece is set to Chopin's Preludes [Spotify] but the music will be performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - rather than by a pianist - when the ballet is fully staged. The choreographer told the audience at the Insight: 'Four couples will be dancing, each of them will have solos, duets, trios and quartets'.

Christopher's Aeternum was rehearsed with James Hay, Thiago Soares and Claire Calvert. The piece is set to Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem [Spotify] with the session focusing on a solo by James and a pas de deux for Thiago and Claire.